Voicesof500Women
What 500 Women across West Africa Revealed on Digital Adoption Patterns, Behaviours and Drivers
Over the past few months, DODO's research team engaged 500 women across 8 West African countries of Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d'Ivoire. Findings revealed digital adoption patterns, behaviours and drivers, providing actionable insights to inform strategic decisions and business growth.
Insights emerged across the healthtech, e-commerce, edtech and fintech industries that highlight untapped consumer behaviours, market opportunities, and innovation pathways, that will inform business strategy and investment decisions across these sectors.
Healthtech
What 500 Women's Experiences Reveal About the Future of Digital Health in West Africa
In many communities, women still navigate crowded clinics, paper records, and out-of-pocket fees that make accessing health services, and wellness guidance slow, costly, and sometimes out of reach. At the same time, mobile phones and digital tools are reshaping what healthcare access can look like, from messaging a nurse on WhatsApp for advise on symptoms, to following online for nutrition, maternal health, or self-care tutorials, or even learning new skills that support their livelihoods.
This creates both urgency and opportunity: how do we expand access to timely, reliable, and affordable healthcare services without overburdening fragile health systems, while creating solutions that women trust and find genuinely valuable? How do we design healthtech to be affordable, efficient, and supportive of women’s daily lives; including their learning, productivity, and side hustles, in the way that helps transform women from passive patients into informed, empowered decision-makers in their own health journeys.
38%
Nigeria (n=295)
49%
Ghana (n=33)
are unemployed or self-employed which means that digital adoption depends on income security
Ground insights driving health solutions for women in West Africa.
45%
Respondents in Ghana use digital platforms for learning or studying.
Affordable,
productive, and
educational solutions
Untapped value for market growth
500
Women8West African
Countries
ProductBoosters
Our survey data shows that income security is a key driver in women's adoption of health solutions. With 38% of respondents in Nigeria (n=295) and 48.5% in Ghana (n=33) reporting that they are unemployed and seeking work or self-employed.
In demographies with smaller sample sizes such as Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire, more than half of respondents also identified as unemployed and seeking work or self-employed.
While further market validation is recommended, particularly in markets such as Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire, these findings reveal a strong opportunity to design solutions that prioritize affordability, efficiency, and even support for education and skills-building, empowering women not only as patients but also as informed decision-makers around matters of health.
Food for thought
Could framing healthtech around productivity and earning potential spark interest and accelerate adoption among women seeking several sources of income or managing side hustles?
What if digital health solutions were framed as productivity and income enablers, helping women with irregular income, supporting side hustles, and protecting their ability to earn while still scaling effectively for clinics and providers?
PATIENTStoPOWERHOUSESPATIENTStoPOWERHOUSES
45% of respondents in Ghana (n=33) use digital platforms for learning or studying. This indicates that healthtech solutions may scale faster when framed not just as direct healthcare solutions, but also offering the added value of educating users in a variety of matters that interest them in the context of healthcare. Additionally, that aligns with women's existing use of digital tools for learning.
Food for thought
What if healthtech platforms doubled as a learning & empowerment tool, by embedding educational content e.g., maternal health, wellness and preventive care, that reflects how women use digital tools to improve their livelihoods?
E-commerce
What Women’s Digital Experiences Tell Us About Trust, Choice, and Opportunity in West Africa’s Digital Marketplaces
E-commerce in West Africa is experiencing significant growth. The market size reached USD 216.85 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 1,711.12 billion by 2033, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.80% during 2025–2033* This expansion is driven by factors such as improved digital connectivity, increased smartphone penetration, and government investment in digital infrastructure.
However, this growth coexists with significant challenges as trust remains fragile, with concerns around online scams, product quality, and delivery reliability shaping how people engage with online platforms. The goal would be to balance scale with trust, by creating reliable, transparent, and localized experiences that build long-term confidence in online shopping.
*Imarcgroup
84%
Nigeria (n=295)
86%
Senegal (n=51)
83%
Benin (n=50)
rely heavily on family and friends and social media to learn about new digital platforms.
51%
Nigeria (n=295)
51%
Ghana (n=33)
Identified scams and harassment as the top barriers to their adoption of digital platforms.
Social credibility and community trust may outperform paid advertising, in markets where brand loyalty is low.
500
Women8West African
Countries
CONVERSATIONSTHATCONVERTCONVERSATIONSTHATCONVERT
Our survey uncovered the principle of Social proof, highlighting family and friends and social media to be the strongest drivers of digital platforms for women, with 84.4% of respondents in Nigeria (n=295), 85.7% in Senegal (n=51) and 83.3% in Benin (n=50) relying heavily on these channels.
Similar trends exist in smaller sample sizes with about 98% of respondents in Togo, Sierra Leone and Liberia relying on family and friends, meanwhile in Ghana, the medium of Radio and TV remain important to 72.7% of respondents (n=33), in the area of learning about new digital platforms.
This demonstrates that e-commerce adoption may grow faster when platforms position discovery around trusted word-of-mouth networks.
Food for thought
Instead of standard referral programs or mass-media ads, how might we leverage family conversations and social sharing as the primary engine of discovery, while using mass media to widen the circle of those conversations to amplify reach?
SECURITYBYSUPPORTSECURITYBYSUPPORT
50.8% of respondents in Nigeria (n=295), and 51.5% in Ghana (n=33) identified internet scams and harassment as the top barriers to their adoption of digital platforms.
Alongside these risks, respondents also cited poor customer support as a major reason for abandoning platforms.
These experiences fuel the perception that online shopping is unsafe, pushing women back to offline markets they consider more trustworthy.
This finding shows that there is an opportunity to strengthen women's trust on digital platforms.
Food for thought
How can you leverage key points in the customer's journey to further cement their trust and remove biases?
How can you enhance customer support to counter fears of fraud as women use digital products and platforms. building the trust women need to stay and shop confidently, thereby improving retention on e-commerce platforms?
Edtech
How Women's Learning Habits Are Shaping the Next Wave of Digital Education in West Africa
The West African online education market was valued at USD 715.96 million in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 5,108.24 million by 2033, growing at a 24.40% CAGR*. A rapidly growing youth population and widespread mobile adoption make digital education a natural pathway for expanding access to learning.
Yet affordability, unreliable infrastructure, and uneven digital literacy continue to shape how, when, and where learners can engage with technology.
The mandate is to design platforms that are both inclusive and sustainable, enabled by strong partnerships and scalable technology that balance affordability, business viability, and the realities of women across the region.
*imarcgroup
73%
Ghana (n=33)
70%
Benin (n=50)
64%
Nigeria (n=50)
cited excessive data use as a major barrier to consistent use of digital platforms
45%
Ghana (n=33)
use smartphones for education or job search
Edtech platforms must meet learners where they are
To truly scale access to education
500
Women8West African
Countries
LEARNINGWITHOUTLIMITSLEARNINGWITHOUTLIMITS
While many women have smartphones, high data costs and device limitations still restrict consistent use. 64% of respondents in Nigeria (n=295), 70% in Benin (n=50), 73% in Ghana (n=33) and all respondents in Senegal (n=51) cited excessive data use as a major barrier.
For Edtech, this implies that scaling participation would require platforms that consume less data, remain affordable, and are compatible with the devices women already own.
Food for thought
Could Edtech platforms combine low-data operations on everyday devices, with offline features like downloadable lessons to ensure women can learn consistently, even when connectivity is unreliable or data is costly?
PATHWAYSTOLIVELIHOODPATHWAYSTOLIVELIHOOD
In Ghana, (n=33), 45% of respondents use smartphones for education or job search, revealing that digital tools are significantly becoming a part of how women grow their skills and explore new income opportunities.
Edtech can leverage this by connecting direct learning to real-world career and income generating outcomes, not just certificates.
Though the sample size was smaller, trends show that women in Liberia also use digital tools for learning.
Food for thought
What would it take for edtech certificates to carry true market value? What additional elements of value can be added, to successfully engage women who are seeking to expand their knowledge and grow their careers?
Fintech
What Women's Financial Journeys Reveal About the Opportunities and Gaps in Digital Finance Across West Africa
Fintech in West Africa is experiencing rapid growth, driven by mobile adoption and the increasing demand for accessible financial services. However, significant barriers persist for women as only 37% of women in sub-Saharan Africa have a bank account, compared to 48% of men, and 70% of women-owned businesses report inadequate access to growth capital IMF+1. These challenges are compounded by limited digital literacy and reliance on informal financial systems.
The opportunity is enormous: digital finance can bridge gaps for women, low-income households, and women-owned businesses who are underserved by traditional banking.
For fintech leaders, the mandate goes beyond digitizing payments. It includes delivering accessible, affordable, and trusted services that expand inclusion while driving sustainable revenue.
*IMF+1
100%
Senegal (n=51)
70%
Benin (n=50)
identified high data cost as a major barrier to sustained use of digital platforms
56%
Benin (n=50)
are unemployed or self-employed
Low cost financial platforms that drive lasting engagement
Revenue potential for fintechs
500
Women8West African
Countries
RETENTIONGAPRETENTIONGAP
In our study, we uncovered that smartphone adoption and daily internet access are widespread across the West African countries.
However, respondents identified high data costs as a major barrier to sustained use, Nigeria (64%, n=295), Senegal (100%, n=51), Benin (70%, n=50), Ghana (73%, n=33).
This suggests that while app-based fintechs are viable and increasingly common, retention is undermined by affordability challenges, leaving significant revenue potential untapped.
Food for thought
How might fintech solutions be built to run efficiently on low-to-medium data, making consistent use more affordable and sustainable?
SEAMLESSFINANCESEAMLESSFINANCE
Findings from our survey revealed a strong opportunity and need for financial services to tailor offerings to answer to the needs of women who are building their own businesses or actively seeking employment.
38% of the 295 Nigerian women reported being unemployed or self-employed, along with slightly half of the respondents surveyed in Benin (56%, n=50).
Food for thought
Can financial services, in their search for new revenue streams, develop offerings, through partnerships or other models, in the areas of career advancement and business growth, that women can benefit from?